Best Antivirus Software 2026: Independent Ranking
We rank antivirus and internet security suites for home users by verifiable facts. The heaviest factor is protection measured by independent test labs: the AV-TEST protection score in its latest Windows test and the protection rate and award in the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test. We also count the load on your computer measured by the same labs, the number of platforms, whether a VPN and a password manager are included, whether there is a free version and how long the money-back guarantee lasts. Every fact links to the lab report or the company's official page and carries the date we checked it. We do not test products ourselves, and paid placements never change the Score.
| # | Company | Who it serves | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitdefender | 93 | 6 | 99.5% | Yes | VPN Password manager Free |
| 2 | Malwarebytes | 81 | 6 | 98.8% | Yes | VPN Free |
| 3 | TotalAV | 77 | 6 | 99% | Not verified | VPN Password manager |
| 4 | Kaspersky | 76 | 6 | 99.8% | No | VPN Password manager |
| 5 | F-Secure | 74 | 6 | 98.8% | No | VPN Password manager |
| 6 | Avast | 65 | 6 | 99.3% | Not verified | VPN |
| 7 | AVG | 65 | 6 | 99.3% | Not verified | VPN |
| 8 | Norton | 65 | 6 | 99.3% | Not verified | VPN |
| 9 | ESET | 62 | 6 | 98.5% | No | VPN |
| 10 | McAfee | 61 | 6 | 98.5% | Not verified | VPN |
| 11 | Trend Micro | 59 | 5 | 98.3% | No | VPN Password manager |
| 12 | G DATA | 56 | 6 | 97.8% | No | Password manager |
| 13 | Panda Dome | 44 | Not verified | 96.5% | Yes | VPN Password manager Free |
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99.5%
- Free version
- Yes
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- Permanent free version available
Details Visit site ↗ 100% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 98.8%
- Free version
- Yes
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- Permanent free version available
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 95% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99%
- Free version
- Not verified
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99.8%
- Free version
- No
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Cons
- No free version, only a trial
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 98.8%
- Free version
- No
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
- A password manager is included in at least one plan
Cons
- No free version, only a trial
Details Visit site ↗ 100% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99.3%
- Free version
- Not verified
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99.3%
- Free version
- Not verified
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 99.3%
- Free version
- Not verified
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- High protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World test
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 98.5%
- Free version
- No
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Cons
- No free version, only a trial
- No password manager in the plans
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 98.5%
- Free version
- Not verified
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 70% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 5
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 98.3%
- Free version
- No
Pros
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
- A password manager is included in at least one plan
Cons
- No free version, only a trial
Details Visit site ↗ 95% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- 6
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 97.8%
- Free version
- No
Pros
- Top protection score in the latest AV-TEST test
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- A password manager is included in at least one plan
Cons
- No free version, only a trial
Details Visit site ↗ 85% backed by facts
-
- AV-TEST protection (of 6)
- Not verified
- AV-Comparatives protection rate
- 96.5%
- Free version
- Yes
Pros
- Protects Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone
- Permanent free version available
- A VPN is included in at least one plan
- A password manager is included in at least one plan
Details Visit site ↗ 77% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Avira (site closed to automated checks, )
- Microsoft Defender (site closed to automated checks, )
- Sophos Home (57% backed by facts)
Sites marked as closed refuse automated reading (403 error, captcha or a robots.txt ban). We don't bypass such protection, so we can't verify their facts and they are not ranked. This says nothing about their quality. A company can send links to its official pages to [email protected].
How we calculate the Score
45%
Protection
Independent lab results only. The AV-TEST protection score (out of 6) from the latest bimonthly Windows home-user test the product took part in within the last 12 months: 4 or less scores 0, 6 scores 100. The protection rate in the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test February–May 2026 (blocked threats plus half of user-dependent cases): 95% or less scores 0, 100% scores 100. And the award in that test, which also accounts for false alarms: Advanced+ 100, Advanced 75, Standard 50, Tested 25.
10%
Performance
How much the product slows down the computer, according to the labs: the AV-TEST performance score (out of 6; 4 or less scores 0, 6 scores 100) and the impact score in the AV-Comparatives Performance Test of September 2026 (lower is better: 0 scores 100, 40 or more scores 0).
20%
Features
How many of four platforms the company's home security apps support according to its official pages: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS (logarithmic, full score at 4). Plus whether at least one consumer plan includes a VPN (any traffic limit; the limit is given in the notes) and a password manager.
15%
Price and refunds
Whether there is a permanent free antivirus (trials and online scanners don't count), and the money-back period for annual plans in days: 0 scores 0, 60 or more scores 100. Prices themselves are shown for reference only and are not part of the Score: most vendors load them with scripts and change them by region and first-year discounts, so we cannot verify them evenly for everyone.
10%
Reputation
Average App Store (US) rating of the company's mobile security app, weighted by the number of ratings. No app in the US App Store means no data for this factor.
How to choose an antivirus
Look at independent tests, not ads
Compare results from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives across several tests: a product that stays at the top over a year is more reliable than one with a single good result. Watch false alarms too — they are reflected in the AV-Comparatives award.
Check the load on your computer
A good antivirus protects without slowing you down. The performance scores of both labs show how much a product affects starting apps, copying files and browsing — important for older laptops.
Count your devices and platforms
Make sure the plan covers every device you use: Windows, Mac, Android phone, iPhone. Plans differ by the number of devices, so pick one that fits your household instead of buying extra licences later.
Decide which extras you need
Suites often bundle a VPN, a password manager and identity monitoring. If you already use a separate VPN or password manager, a basic plan may be enough; check whether the bundled VPN limits daily traffic.
Watch the renewal price and refund terms
First-year discounts are common, and plans renew automatically at the regular price. Note the renewal price, turn off auto-renewal if you are unsure, and remember the money-back period in case the product does not suit you.
Frequently asked questions
Which antivirus is the best right now?
The product ranked first has the highest Score under our open methodology, and almost half of the Score comes from independent lab tests. Several leaders are close: check the factor bars — protection, performance, features — and pick the leader in what matters to you.
Is the built-in Microsoft Defender enough?
In the latest AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives tests Microsoft Defender Antivirus reached top-level protection scores, so it is a solid baseline. Paid suites add extras such as a VPN, a password manager, protection for Mac and phones and support. Defender is listed with its lab results, but we could not collect the rest of its facts from Microsoft's site.
Are free antivirus programs any good?
Some free versions use the same protection engine as the paid ones and score at the top of lab tests. Usually they protect one Windows PC and leave out extras. See the Free version fact; we do not count trials or one-off online scanners as free versions.
Where do the protection scores come from?
From the public reports of two independent test labs: AV-TEST (Germany) tests Windows security products every two months, and AV-Comparatives (Austria) runs the Real-World Protection and Performance tests. Each value links to the exact report. We do not run our own malware tests.
Why is a well-known brand missing from the ranking or shown with gaps?
We rank only products with at least 70% of the Score backed by verified facts. Some official websites block automated checks; we never bypass that protection, so those facts stay empty until we can verify them. Lab results are still shown on the product's page.
How do you rank antivirus software?
By facts from lab reports and official pages — each with a link and a check date — and a fixed, public formula. We do not grade products by hand, so the ranking is reproducible and cannot be bought.